Custer Park is one step closer to operating its own services out of the fire station along Route 113.

Late last month, the Custer Park Fire Department secured dispatching services through the Will County Sheriff’s Department’s new Laraway Communications Center.

Custer Fire Protection District Board of Trustees President Ron Pruss said that while a full vote on accepting Custer Park has yet to happen in front of a majority Board of Directors, the Executive Board extended the department a year-by-year contract until the full vote makes its way through.

Congress gets set to head back to work following the August recess, and representatives will duke it out when it comes to getting their issue pushed to the top of the list.

One issue that isn’t likely to see much action is transportation — bad news for drivers fed up with crumbling roads and backed up lanes in Will and Grundy counties.

Earlier this month, U.S. Congressman Adam Kinzinger, R-16, said there was little good news when it comes to federal funds allocated for work to improve the area’s roadways, particularly the Interstate 55 and Interstate 80 corridors.

Braidwood’s police department no longer uses the Western Will County Communication Center (WESCOM) as its dispatching service for emergency calls. But the city still must pay up on an agreement held with the old dispatch service from when it joined in 2007.

On Aug. 14, the City Council approved an intergovernmental agreement with WESCOM to pay a total of $201,318 in money due. That cash will be paid in monthly installments of $1,157, with the obligation set to expire on May 1, 2032.

On Aug. 14, officer James Goode was appointed to a full-time position with the BPD.

“Officer Goode has been with us part-time, working full-time hours, to fill the need that we had unfortunately by [a resignation] and Officer Mike Gatto, who unfortunately passed away,” said Public Health and Safety Commissioner Eric Tessler. “Goode is ready to take the next step, we’re excited, he’s one of our younger officers and we’re excited to have him full time.”

U.S. Congressman Adam Kinzinger, R-16, is taking advantage of the August recess to tour the district and get the word out about initiatives he hopes to head up when Congress returns to session in the fall.

On Aug. 9, Kinzinger made a stop at Exelon’s Braidwood Station, to announce plans he’s working on regarding HR 1320, also known as the Nuclear Utilization of Keynote Energy (NUKE) Act.

According to Kinzinger, the legislation creates a framework for Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) fees to increase transparency and provide long-term certainty for nuclear plants.